An information communication technology provides advanced services by linking a plurality of services on a network. In an example of this type of information communication technology, a web application program interface (API) disclosed by a service provider in the representational state transfer (REST) format is used to enable applications to be mutually linked. Access to the disclosed web API is appropriately controlled by using an authentication protocol such as, for example, OAuth. Application developers use this web API or another API provided by another service provider to develop application software. The developed application software is referred to as a mashup application.
Another information communication technology is a roll based access control technology. In the roll based access control, a role is given to an authenticated user and access to a resource is controlled by giving permission according to the role.
A technology is also considered that enables the single sign-on function used to access a plurality of networks present in a plurality of domains. This technology is thought to be able to be expanded so that it is used in both a linked domain environment and a non-linked domain environment.
An authentication system is also considered that easily sets attributes related to users in a safe manner. If an authentication token in this authentication system decides that authentication has succeeded, the authentication token sends attribute information associated with stored biological information to the unit in use. The unit in use receives the attribute information, and an attribute identifying unit in the unit in use identifies the user's attribute indicated by the received attribute information, after which a service corresponding to the user's attribute identified by the attribute identifying unit is provided.
Examples disclosed as related art include, for example, International Publication Pamphlet No. WO 2006/006704 and Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2009-238125.